With tonight being the last night of the regular season for high school football and the state playoffs due to start next Friday night across the state, the Oklahoma 5A bracket has been turned upside down with a scandal involving the # 1 team in 5A the Guthrie Bluejays, and could cost them the state playoffs.

The Guthrie Sports Page broke the news Thursday night that Class 5A's top-ranked Guthrie Blue Jays may be forced to forfeit eight victories because of a  residency issue with a current Guthrie Bluejays player. The Guthrie School District is scheduled to file an appeal Friday morning, which apparently will not be heard until the OSSAA regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting Wednesday morning and with the 5A state playoffs set to start 2 days later this could delay the 5A state playoffs

According to the website, the OSSAA received an anonymous letter on Oct. 19 that sparked the investigation into the Guthrie Bluejays player, whose family lives in Guthrie but has another family member living in the previous home that is for sale and has been for several months. This situation could be a violation of OSSAA Rule 8-2b(5), which deals with dual residency. here is that rule

“For the purposes of this Rule, a bona fide move and change of residence shall mean that the student’s parents (or custodial parent or court appointed guardian with legal custody of the student) have moved out of their prior residence and have established a new, full-time residence outside the public school district or other geographic area in which they previously were residing. If the student’s parents (or custodial parent or court appointed guardian) move to a new residence but do not intend to make it their permanent home, the student will not be eligible at any new school unless complete information is presented at a hearing before the Board of Directors and a ruling has been given that a bona fide change of residence has been made. Factors that may be considered include, but are not limited to, whether the original residence has been closed, disposed of, rented or leased on a long-term agreement, whether the family’s personal property has been sold or moved to the new residence, and whether another family member has been allowed to use the original residence. A student whose family maintains multiple residences in circumvention of the requirements of this Rule shall not be eligible at any new school.”

If this ruling is upheld it would mean that the Guthrie Bluejays , who is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 5A with an unbeaten 9-0 record, would  be forced to forfeit eight of their 9 wins this season and  would not be allowed to participate in the 5A playoffs.

So did Guthrie cheat ? Should they be kicked out of the 5A state playoffs? Tell me what you think.

 

More From KLAW-FM